A partnership between the Tasmanian Government, local service provider TasmaNet and the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Broadband Network has powered Tasmanian schools to the top of the national table for delivering high-speed broadband for their students.
There are currently 59 Government schools and 29 schools from the Catholic education sector already connected to the NBN Enterprise Ethernet product. A further five Government schools will have their Enterprise Ethernet service connected by March 2021.
A school connectivity survey undertaken by the Tasmanian Education Department in February 2020, showed that for public schools in Tasmania, 85 per cent (179 school locations) were connected to fibre or Enterprise Ethernet broadband. The survey also found that Tasmania is the highest ranked State for School broadband speeds, with around 76 per cent of public schools receiving speeds greater than
99 Megabits per second.
Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, said that faster, reliable internet means that students across the state will be able to access more online learning services and applications.
“High-speed broadband can significantly extend the reach, availability and quality of educational services, particularly in some hard-to-reach places. It also enables more intensive and immersive online interactions, resulting in higher quality outcomes for students,” Minister Fletcher said.
“With improved broadband access, students and teachers will have greater ability to access nationally significant films, music, newspapers, journals, historic documents from sources such as the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Library of Australia, the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Film and Sound Archives and the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Archives of Australia.
Enterprise Ethernet is NBN Co’s fastest wholesale product, providing prioritised bandwidth, 24/7 dedicated customer support, and symmetrical wholesale speeds of up to 1 Gigabit per second.
Deputy Premier of Tasmania and Tasmanian Minister for Education and Training, The Hon Jeremy Rockliff MP, said that the Tasmanian Government was committed to ensuring students can benefit from the latest technology.
“In addition to the 59 public schools in Tasmania with access to the Enterprise Ethernet service, almost the entire Catholic Education system in the state, which is around 29 schools are also connected to NBN Co Business Grade Fibre through TasmaNet,” the Deputy Premier said.
“Tasmanian students are now connected to even more opportunities and experiences, access to fast internet allows schools to continue to employ technology as a tool to enhance student learning and engagement.”
Federal member for Bass, Ms Bridget Archer MP, said that the Federal and Tasmanian Governments and NBN Co are working together to create a real education revolution in Tasmania.
“Two years ago, less than half of Tasmanian students were on an NBN fibre connection, now more than 80 percent of students have fibre based services – meaning more students than ever can realise the benefits that digital connectivity can provide,” Mrs Archer said.
Nine in 10 businesses across Australia, including educational facilities, are also set to benefit from access to NBN Enterprise Ethernet as part of NBN Co’s Business Fibre Initiative at no upfront cost- with 240 Business Fibre Zones set to be established nationwide.
